The prior art is well documented with examples of linear latch designs, such as for use in a vehicle seat recliner. Notable examples include a latch mechanism for a vehicle seat disclosed in Bell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,866 which controls the pivotal movement of a seat back relative to a seat bottom. A pair of latches are engageable with an articulated slidable link to latch the seat at a desired reclining position. The latches are manually movable to an unlatched condition to allow relative movement therebetween by the link.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,442, also to Bell, teaches a mechanism for controlling reclining movement of a vehicle seat back which includes a pair of pawls engageable with an articulated and slidable ratchet arm for latching the seat at a desired reclining position. The pawls are then manually movable to an unlatched condition relative to the ratchet arm via a pair of pawl control plates for permitting movement of the ratchet arm. Bell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,264, discloses a related latch mechanism and having a pair of spring loaded latches engageable with an articulated sliding link.
Other references of note include the linear mechanical lock with one-piece lock housing of Porter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,045. Of note, a rod is normally gripped against axial translation through a housing by a coil spring and released by unwinding the spring. The one piece housing integrally contains the spring and related rod bearing elements.